What is NOT a function of Pressure support ventilation (PSV)?

Pressure support ventilation (PSV) is designed to assist patients in breathing by providing a preset level of pressure during spontaneous breaths. This mode encourages patients to initiate their own breaths, thereby promoting independent ventilation.

The first option, assisting the patient’s breath, aligns perfectly with the fundamental purpose of PSV. It provides a boost of pressure which aids the patient when they draw in air, making the task of breathing less laborious.

Regulating minute volume is not directly a function of PSV. While PSV can support the patient in achieving adequate ventilation, it does not inherently regulate the overall minute ventilation like controlled modes of ventilation do. The patient's own efforts and breathing patterns largely dictate the minute volume in PSV.

Facilitating spontaneous breathing is a key characteristic of PSV. This mode is specifically designed to support and encourage the patient's own breathing efforts, enhancing their comfort and respiratory autonomy.

Providing a set tidal volume is not a function of PSV, leading to the conclusion that this is the correct answer. Unlike modes such as Assist-Control ventilation, where a specific tidal volume is delivered regardless of the patient's own effort, PSV responds to the patient's spontaneous efforts. Thus, each breath supported by PSV may vary in volume based on the patient's own needs at that time, lacking the predict